After years of complaints regarding “stick drift” with the original Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons, observers had anticipated that the upcoming Switch 2 would incorporate magnetic Hall effect sensors. This technology is known for its ability to reduce the wear and tear that leads to joystick issues. However, a Nintendo executive has confirmed that the new Joy-Cons will not utilize this more durable yet costly technology.
Nate Bihldorff, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Product Development & Publishing, stated in an interview with Nintendo Life that the Joy-Con 2 controllers have been completely redesigned. “They’re not Hall effect sticks, but they feel really good,” he remarked.
This announcement follows a recent roundtable Q&A where Nintendo kept details about the Switch 2’s joystick hardware under wraps. A question regarding improvements to stick drift was met with a response from Switch 2 Technical Director Tetsuya Sasaki, who noted that the “new Joy-Con 2 controllers have been designed from the ground up to offer bigger and smoother movement.”
Subsequent inquiries to Nintendo have yielded similarly ambiguous answers. Sasaki explained to Polygon that disclosing specifics about the joystick’s mechanisms would equate to revealing their entire production blueprint. A Nintendo spokesperson also indicated to VGC that while the control sticks have been revamped, improvements regarding durability have been made.
In a recent “Ask the Developer” interview shared by Nintendo, producer Kouichi Kawamoto confirmed the comprehensive redesign of Joy-Con 2, stating that the new sticks are larger and more durable, and offer enhanced smoothness compared to their predecessors.
What’s the problem?
The absence of Hall effect sensors (or similar magnetic technologies) raises concerns about the durability of the described “smoothness” under heavy use. The stick drift issue on the original Switch has been attributed to internal metal contacts that erode against graphite, creating debris that can hinder the joystick’s ability to detect its centered position.
The situation became severe enough that Nintendo offered complimentary replacements to users experiencing drifting issues. While the small joystick designs of the Switch have been particularly prone to this defect, Xbox and PlayStation users have similarly reported stick drift problems with controllers that also lack Hall effect sensors.
It remains to be seen whether the redesigned and slightly larger sticks on the Joy-Cons for Switch 2 will prove to be more reliable, as Nintendo suggests, and less susceptible to issues that previously marred the original model. Without the implementation of Hall effect sensors, clarity on the internal changes of this redesign will be crucial before expectations can be set high.
